John Miedema

Tracy Seeley is a writer and English professor at the University of San Francisco, a front-line advocate of slow reading. She understands the real spirit of slow reading, ignoring the hype around reading gadgetry, preferring to meander and browse through the big pages and pictures of a book with her little friend, Lucas. In this picture, the pages of the book in Tracy’s hands shine on Lucas’ face, eager with anticipation.

Why do so many technophiles love libraries too? This image joins my ‘Books’ sub-collection of the Reading Gallery. This gallery — shown at the bottom right of my blog’s homepage — includes bookish images that do not include or directly imply a reader.

Caralyn Champa read Slow Reading leisurely over several weeks, outdoors, away from her laptop, with a freshly brewed pot of tea. She included this wonderful photo in her review, and was kind enough to send me a copy. Thanks Caralyn.

This reading hipster is a shot taken by Joel Beford. The collection seems to be growing along an urban theme. Hadn’t planned that but it’s good.

Sarolta Gyoker (designsoul.com) took this shot in an Ottawa cafe. My son is an English major in Ottawa. He got a piercing this weekend. It could have been him. Sarah is currently in Europe but I am hoping once she gets back she is going to send me some more of her reader photos. I will share them here.

Tim Miedema snapped this photo of a nine-inch thick book he came across in a country garage. It is an encyclopaedia and dictionary. The owner found it in a barn. Tim is one of my several siblings. You can click the photo or this link to view his online art gallery.

Aristotle Build 03 by Republic Bike was recently added to the Reading Gallery. Books and bicycles share core design principles: elegance, durability, flight. Fixies are my growing obsession.

BookBook by Twelve South was recently added to the Reading Gallery. I like the way it juxtaposes the fast and slow of information. It is an actual leather case you can purchase for the MacBook.

Photo entitled “creative reading” by anemone achtnich, used with permission. She adds this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “There is then creative reading as well as creative writing. When the mind is braced by labor and invention, the page of whatever book we read becomes luminous with manifold allusion.”

My Slow Reading page has this photo, used by permission from Clara. She told me the book is a Swedish hymnbook, and the hymn is number 415 514, about a small, poor child who is happy anyway because the Lord takes care of us.